arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
Hi Everyone,
I'm switching from IV Clindamycin to IV Primaxin and will be starting with 500mg every 8 hours (three times a day). I'm looking for input on a good dosing schedule - I've never been on an IV antibiotic that's been dosed more than twice a day so this is new territory for me.
Part of my concern is that I work one afternoon a week from 1-5 in the office of an art gallery (the main desk right by the main door so I greet people) and frequently on Saturdays from 10-2 at the same place. I'm going to ask my boss about infusing at work but it would be nicer to have a schedule to work around it the best I can but I'm having trouble figuring this out unless I stay up until 1am to do the third dose! Any suggestions or input would be greatly appreciated.
Peace and healing, Annie
P.S. I'll hopefully be starting this week, as soon as insurance decides if they'll approve it right away or if they're going to make us fight for it.
posted
Is an infusion pump a possibility?
Posts: 8430 | From Not available | Registered: Oct 2000
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arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
I guess it might be, but if it was a full-sized pump it wouldn't help solve the problem of infusing at work. I do currently have a portable pump for daily IV hydration (a liter of saline) but it's from a different company than my antibiotics (long story about the reason for that) and the pump needs special tubing that's more expensive than the regular drip tubing so it's not like I could just take the drip tubing and hook it through the pump.
I'm in the process of trying to switch my hydration to my local infusion company and if that happens I may end up with a portable pump from them or no pump at all, not sure yet. If I do get a pump from them, I could ask about possibly doing my afternoon abx dose with the pump and get extra tubing for that.
arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
Ann - I like the idea of making my pole (and me) a piece of art! LOL I could dress up one of my poles to make it all artsy or change it every month to go with the current exhibit!
One of the tricky things with the place I work is that a lot of the times when I'm at work it's just me, no co-workers to take over while I infuse, my boss is often off doing errands or just taking the afternoon off, so it would be difficult for me to take a break. I hate asking my boss to be sure to be around during a certain time each day I work and I'd hate to weird out some of the visitors by being hooked up to my pole in the office. I would be able to hide my pole pretty well in the corner and the tubing wouldn't be horribly noticible, so I'd just be limited in my ability to move around for the time it took to infuse. I don't know yet how long the infusion will be because it's not set up yet (waiting on insurance approval) but I've heard from others on Primaxin and it's supposedly a 30-40 minute infusion. It seems like there isn't a whole lot of options other than infusing at work! I don't work everyday so it's just not worth it to completely arrange my infusion schedule around my workdays. I feel like I'm having to schedule my life around the infusions! Se la vie!
posted
There is a lot of lyme where you work so I think you could educate alot of people if they saw your pole,maybe your boss will think the same,could be a good oppurtunity(your the one with all the ideas,surprised you didnt think of that).How long are you going to be doing primaxin for?Keep me updated please,this rocephin is making me a eating machine.Joe
Posts: 308 | From new bedford,Ma. | Registered: Dec 2004
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arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
Thanks for the idea, Joe. That is one thing I hadn't thought about. The thing I'm worried about the most is that I work in a public place and I don't want to scare people away with my medical stuff. My boss is not primarily concerned with educating people about Lyme and usually just kind of ignores my Lyme stuff (but not in an uncaring way, she does ask how I'm doing and has learned a lot about how bad Lyme is from dealing with me over the past 6+ years that I've been working there).
Recently I've started feeling like a burden to my boss. Even though she tells me I do great work and she wouldn't be able to train someone to do all the things I do, I feel bad that I can't work more and need to have such a flexible schedule. When I work, I'm often there by myself (I'm the only employee other than my boss). It's just a tricky situation and I'm not sure how to approach it with my boss because I want to keep my job (and I'm sure she wants me to keep it, too) but I don't want to have to juggle the infusions around too much or compromise my sleep for the rest of the week just for one day of work.
I don't know how long I'll be doing the Primaxin - depends on how I respond to it and handle it. When writing out the prescription, my LLMD was going to write it for 6-12 weeks but then thought better of putting a time on the prescription in case I need it longer and the insurance company had already made up their mind that 12 weeks was the max! I'll let you know how it goes once I start it. (And on a side note, IV meds always make me eat much LESS, interesting that you're eating MORE with the Rocephin.)
arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
Hi Everyone,
I just wanted to let you know that this issue has been resolved. I asked my boss today if it would be okay for me to infuse my afternoon dose while at work and she said it would be fine, didn't even have to think about it. So, now I just have to deal with bringing everything with me to work but that should be okay - just have to make sure not to forget anything! (And I also have to finish getting it all set up and actually START the treatment, but hopefully that will happen soon.)
My Home Health Care Agency set me up with a pump (not a portable one like a fanny pack) still have a pole, just regulates the flow, but also is sending me another to use to gravity feed here at work once a day.
You may see if you can get two and use the pump at home and the gravity feed at work so you don't have to cart all of your stuff around and then you could just find a storage closet or something to put the IV pole in. I think they break down pretty small. I get mine in the mail today.
Today is PICC line day!!! Woohoo!
-------------------- jloisu Posts: 197 | From Seeing Lyme Green in Iowa | Registered: Jun 2005
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I was still working during 3 of my IV episodes! So, I know how you are feeling.
I worked in the administration for the prison system and besides co-workers had offenders in my midst too! I was really apprehensive about infusing at work but, believe it or not - I had absolutely no problems w/ anyone!
I was lucky enuf to have the pressure balls for the meds so, all I had to do was flush the line, hook up and then go about my business until time to unhook and flush again!
The little bally thingy is really cool and fit in my pocket and I could move about! Granted, me felt like &*%$^ but, the actual action was ok!
On a couple of times, I was doing unit visits and had to "hook up" while on the unit! I was really freaked about that from the "germ" aspect but, was just VERY careful EVERYTIME I accessed my port! I always kept EXTRA alcohol preps, used sterile gloves etc!!!
I managed these w/ midlines, PICC lines and finally a central chest line each time! My arms never held up for the full treatment range!
I hope you have great success w/ your IV and hope that you find everyone to be as understanding and supportive as your boss!
Between my boss and coworkers, I managed to eeck out 2 1/2 years more of work than I would have if I had worked anywhere else! I reasonably CERTAIN of that!
Take care and get well soon! Sherry
-------------------- Posts: 704 | From Huntsville, Texas | Registered: Oct 2000
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arg82
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 161
posted
Thanks for the replies.
jloisu - I don't believe I'll be using a pump at all for my infusions - just good 'ole gravity drip. This is how I've always done my infusions and I've never had a problem with it so I don't think a pump would be necessary. I do have 3 IV poles, all of which fold up - two don't have wheels and one does. I'm planning on just bringing in one of my non-rolling ones and leaving it at work so I don't have to worry about forgetting it or something. I also have an S-hook and could hang the bag from something else if need be, but there's less control over where it gets hung and how close to me it would be.
Sherry - thanks for sharing your experiences. I'll be interested to see how many visitors coming in to look at the artwork notices my little IV set up or if they'll just overlook it! I don't know how obvious it will be and if I'm able to go in the other room and work on something, that would reduce the weird looks (although I wouldn't mind people asking me what's wrong and being able to explain about Lyme - as Joe suggested, it would be a good education opportunity). It's just a new thing to have to deal with and it will be interesting to see how it goes! But, with my boss's support I'm sure it will be fine.
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